Five Feet Under
by Alli Elizabeth
Summary: Let me make this clear. This is between me and my best friend. No, the OCs are not Mary-Sue. If you think they are, I don't care. Don't tell me. It's here solely for people who WANT to read it. Eventual Zigzagxoc and Magnetxoc. Nonslash. Language. Enjoy.
1. Prologue

**-Prologue-**

This is so messed up. I thought kids got detention for stuff like this, not sent to juvi labor-camps. It's not like I killed someone! I thought I'd at least get some kind of sympathy. Those idiot cops didn't get the whole story. They only asked the guy's friends what happened. Did they ask my friends? No. Did the teachers see anything? No. They can't prove I started it because I didn't. But I won, so that makes me look guilty; like I was picking on some defenseless idiot. It was self-defense. I'm being sent to juvi for protecting myself...

~(.*.*.)~

_This is what I get for listening to those screw-ups. It was just a game. A harmless game of truth-or-dare. They dared me, so I did it. I've seen people do it, so it was no big deal; I went along with it, and it was great. I don't think I've laughed that hard in years. But then it turns out it wasn't just a stupid game. But, I didn't know. Doesn't that count for anything? They set me up! They framed me! I didn't know what was going on! I know it was a stupid thing to do in the first place, but it was just a dare!_

~(.*.*.)~

**This can't be happening to me!**


	2. Chapter 1

**-1-**

There's the bus, coming to take me to "Camp Green Lake". You'd think that a place with a name like that would sound inviting, but when you know it's basically glorified juvi, it sounds just as bad as prison.

The bus stops in front of me, and the stern-looking officer at my side says, "Time to go."

Mom and Dad are at the door behind me. I can practically feel my Dad's disapproving glare on my back. He shouldn't be surprised that this happened. I got my short temper from him, after all.

I step onto the bus when the door unfolds, trying not to drop my duffle bag; the handcuffs make it tough to hold it comfortably.

"Just sit down somewhere," the cop says gruffly. He obviously doesn't enjoy this part of his job.

I start for the middle of the bus when I catch a glimpse of reddish-brown off to the side. Is that another girl? ...Do I actually have someone to talk to over the trip?

Excited, I drop myself onto the seat across the aisle from her, tossing my bag next to me.

My "escort" goes to the back of the bus, where I see another cop seated.

While they greet each other, I get a better look at my bus-mate. Her hair, the red-brown color I'd seen, is _really_ long. Like, down to her ribs. She has a decent tan to her skin. She's wearing a light blue tank, a pair of worn jeans, and a pair of semi-beat-up converse. Like me, her wrists are bound by the silver cuffs. She doesn't even seem to notice me.

May as well try to talk to her. Maybe she's friendly. "They didn't tell me I was sharing a ride."

She tears her gaze from the window and I see that her eyes are a grayish green. Pretty. And now that I can see her face, I note that she's probably not any older than me. If I'm lucky, she's in for something stupid like I am, not because she's a total psycho.

~(.*.*.)~

_"They didn't tell me I was sharing a ride."_

_Snapping from my daydream, I turn and find that I've been joined by another girl. I must've been even more out-of-it than I thought; I didn't even realize we'd stopped._

_She looks around my age; brown hair halfway down her back, blonde highlights, hazel eyes... She's pretty pale, but there's a little color to her skin. Italian, maybe? She's dressed in a black camisole top and camo-cargo pants that drape a little over her sneakers. She doesn't look menacing at all, making me wonder why she's here._

_"Me neither," I finally say back. I was so caught up in analyzing her, I forgot what she said for a minute._

_The bus starts moving along again, and she looks out the window at who I guess are her parents. Almost immediately, she looks back at me. "So, what's your name?"_

_"Lexie. You?"_

_"Name's Aidan. And yeah, I know it's a boy's name."_

_She's sarcastic. I like her already. "Camp Green Lake?"_

_"Yup. Got into a fight and the judge decided it'd be good for 'controlling my angry impulses' or something like that. What'd they get you for?"_

_"It's a long story. I'm sure people will ask when we get there, so I'll tell you then. I've already explained it twenty times."_

_Aidan nods. "So, we're the first girls to get sent there?"_

_"As far as I know. Did you pack a bathing suit?"_

_She nods again. "I hear they have open showers."_

_They're sending us to a formerly all-boys camp where they can see us showering? Ew. "Good thing I packed mine, then."_

_She looks at the cops in the back, then smirks at me. "You think there'll be any decent-looking guys there?"_

_I stop myself from laughing aloud; I thought about that when they told me it was a boys' camp! I just can't believe she brought it up! "Fingers crossed!"_

~(.*.*.)~

**Maybe this won't be a complete nightmare after all...**


	3. Chapter 2

**-2-**

**Aidan's P.O.V.**

Dirt. That's all we've been looking at for half an hour. Dry, dusty dirt.

"I think we're almost there."

I look back at Lexie. "How can you tell?"

She points out her window. "There are holes all over on this side."

Oh. That might be a good hint. I take a look towards the front of the bus and see the outlines of a couple of buildings up ahead. "I think that's the camp... or a mirage."

"Let's hope it's the first one."

Over the course of the trip, Lexie and I talked a lot. The first thing I discovered was that she's just as sarcastic as me. Also, it turns out we go to the same school. I've never seen her around, so I felt like an idiot when she pointed it out. Anyway, she's a total sweetie; a little crazy, but nice all the same. As a bonus, she makes a lot of perverted jokes. I think the officers in the back were a little on edge when we started giggling seemingly out of nowhere.

"Get ready, you two," one of the cops says. "We'll be pulling up in a minute."

We each grab our duffle bags (as best we can with the handcuffs still on) and try to get a better look at what's ahead. All I can really see is a cabin, a car, and the silhouettes of a few people. "Can you see anything?"

"A cabin, some people, and... I think those are tents." She doesn't sound all that sure.

Before long, the bus pulls into the small camp and squeaks to a stop.

"Let's go, ladies," the same officer ushers us out. He seems even more irritated than when we started the trip (I don't blame him; this heat is _killer_).

I step off the bus and onto the loose, sandy dirt. Ugh, the heat is even worse outside the bus! By the look on her face, I guess Lexie's thinking the same thing.

The two officers step off behind us and lead us towards one of the small buildings. "Time to check in..."

For some reason, that just makes me think of Hotel California; check in anytime, but you might never leave. ...And now I'm scaring myself.

We enter what looks like a little office. Behind a desk is a gruff, big guy wearing a cowboy hat. His eyes are narrow and aimed right at me and Lexie. He doesn't look very friendly, to say the least.

"Lexie Durocher," he reads off a sheet. "And Aidan Gray." He drops the papers onto the desk. "Congratulations." No sincerity whatsoever. "You two are the first girls to be sent here. But lemme get somethin' straight." He gets up and leans on the desk. "Just 'cuz you're girls don't mean you ain't gonna work just as hard as the boys. You don't get no special treatment, got it?"

After sharing a glance with Lexie, I nod, as does she.

"Now, my name is Mr. Sir." Don't laugh, don't laugh, _don't laugh!_ "You will address me as such. Every day, you dig a hole; five feet deep, five feet in diameter. You get two suits; one for work, one for recreation. When the work suit gets washed, your recreation suit becomes your work suit." He pauses before continuing with, "You two were told to bring swimsuits. Gonna need 'em for the showers. Ya need tokens to turn the showers on, so don't waste 'em."

Mr. Sir disappears into the back room for a minute, then returns with orange jumpsuits in each hand. "Here," he tosses them to us. "Ya'll can change when you get to your tent."

"Lexie and Aidan?"

A too-perky-to-be-working-in-a-detention-camp man pops up behind us. "My name is Dr. Pendanski, the counselor." His socks are way too high up his shins, he has sunscreen smeared over his nose, and he's wearing a hat to block out the sun. "Welcome to Camp Green Lake! Now, I want to tell you right away that just because you've made a mistake, that doesn't make either of you bad people. I respect both of you and hope that you'll come to respect me the same way."

...What the hell is he on?

"Come on now, I'll show you around a bit." He turns on his heel and leaves, just like that.

I step out onto the porch with Lexie and ask her quietly, "First thoughts?"

"If the guys are as bad as the supervisors, we're totally screwed."


	4. Chapter 3

**-3-**

Lexie's P.O.V.

The two cops _finally_ unlock our handcuffs as we're lead out of Mr. Sir's office. "You two watch yourselves, alright?" With that, they head back towards the bus.

"Let's go!" Pendanski chirps, already a few feet ahead of us.

"When I snap," Aidan mutters loud enough for me to hear, "He's the first to go."

"Not if I off him first."

Subtly smirking at each other, we snicker and follow the counselor towards the tents.

He starts pointing at different things. "Over there, ya got your showers," he points to a row of stalls. "Then there's the mess hall, the rec. room, the water spigots..." he names as we pass them. "And there's the warden's cabin. Now, I don't know if anyone's told you, but around here, everyone knows to **never** upset the warden. Got it?" He grins when we nod obediently. "Good!"

I look around as he continues leading us. As expected, everyone's staring at us. I lean over and whisper to Aidan, "I wonder how long it's been since some of them have even _seen_ a girl..."

"I'm afraid to find out. Can you say 'sexual frustration'?"

Eww! "I'm sleeping with my eyes open."

"And over here," Pendanski interrupts us, "Is the tent you'll be sharing. Now, you'll still be grouped with boys from one of the other tents. But seein' as you're young ladies, the warden thought it best if ya had your own tent. To keep things appropriate, y'see."

The tent is obviously smaller than the rest; I guess they're not expecting anymore female inmates anytime soon. Inside, there are two cots, one on each side.

"You'll be comin' back here to sleep, but durin' the day, you'll be counted in with D-tent," he explains, gesturing to the tent next to ours. "Why don't you go ahead and put your things away? Once you're all set, we'll head on over to D-tent so ya'll can get acquainted with your neighbors." Pendanski reaches into his pocket and draws out a handful of small coins. "And here are your shower tokens, ladies. Keep 'em with your things, and be sure not to lose 'em. Go on."

I all but run inside with Aidan on my heels; I don't need to be told twice! Anything to get away from Pendanski for a minute!

"This one's mine!" Aidan claims, invading the right side of the tent. After zipping the tent's door, she drops her duffle bag next to the small bed and starts changing into one of her jumpsuits.

I follow her lead. "I'm honestly surprised. I didn't think they'd give us a separate tent."

Aidan smirks my way. "Disappointed?"

"I'll let you know after we've met our 'neighbors'," I throw back.

"And here I thought you were worried about getting raped..."

I can already tell that sharing a tent with her will be fun.

Once we're changed and our tokens have been stashed, we rejoin Dr. Pendanski.

"Alright, let's get the introductions out of the way, shall we?" he suggests with enthusiasm. What _really_ makes me want to smack him is that he's seriously excited. He's not pretending at all.

"Freak..." Aidan mumbles. The look on her face says she's already sick of the heat.

Pendanski walks into the tent ahead of us. "Afternoon, boys! Ready to meet your new neighbors?" I don't hear an answer, but he calls to us, "C'mon in!"

We exchange a glance, then, with slight hesitation, follow him in.

We're met with six pairs of eyes staring straight at us.

"Don't be rude, gentlemen!" Pendanski scolds when none of them say anything. "You'll have to forgive them. I guess nobody bothered to tell 'em their neighbors would be female."

"Pendanski!" That sounded like Mr. Sir.

The counselor sighs, looking annoyed. "Why don't y'all get acquainted? Boys, remember: 'It should be no labor to be nice to your neighbor'!"

What the hell kind of line is that? ...Wait, no! Why are you leaving! Come back! Don't leave us alone with them!

"So you're the newbies, huh?"

Whirling back around, I try to subtly inch closer to Aidan. "Uh, yeah. I'm Lexie, and this is Aidan."

The scrawny-ish black boy (with the thickest glasses I've ever seen) laughs. "Relax, ladies. We don't bite. My name's X-ray. This is Squid," he nods to the boy on his left, who has brown hair under a rag topped with a cap. "And Armpit," he elbows the really big/scary-looking guy on his right.

I share a quick glance with Aidan. She looks like she's thinking the exact same thing as me; should we be afraid?

"Over there's Zigzag, then Magnet."

Zigzag's a pretty tall guy with blonde hair that goes in every direction imaginable. He kind of has a baby-face. I look towards the next cot at Magnet and see that he's... kinda cute. Pretty tan, probably Spanish, a bandana over his head, and dark eyes stuck on Aidan and me.

"So, like, Mom wasn't jokin'? You chicas are really the new meat?" he asks.

Mom? "Who's Mom?"

"Pendanski. The guy who brought you in here," Squid clears up.

"Oh. Well, yeah, that's us..." Aidan answers. She sounds a little distant.

I turn to ask if she's okay, but she's looking at the cot in the left corner of the tent. There's a boy sitting on it, very tan with dark, bushy curls on his head.

"What about you?" she asks him. "What's your name?"

I turn and watch while she waits for an answer, but he just stares at her, almost like she hadn't asked him anything. He's actually creeping me out a little.

"Oh, that's Zero," Armpit tells us. "He don't talk, so don't worry about it if he ignores you."

Well, that's rude.

"Anyway, we're all about to head to the rec. room. You comin'?" X-ray asks.

I look to Aidan first, but she just shrugs. Very helpful. "Yeah, I guess."

Just like that, they clear the tent with the two of us in tow.

"So?" Aidan leans closer to me, talking low. "What's the verdict?"

I can't help smirking a _tiny_ bit. "I don't think sharing a tent would've been that bad..."


	5. Chapter 4

**-4-**

Aidan's P.O.V.

"See anything you like?" I ask Lexie. What? We're teenaged girls! What do you expect?

She looks ahead to make sure the D-tent boys aren't listening in. "Maybe... What about you?"

"Not sure yet. I'll let you know."

The guys go into the rec. room ahead of us. When we follow after, it's a repeat of when we first got off the bus. Eyes **everywhere**. I do my best to ignore it by looking around at what this so-called rec. room has to offer. I see a TV that probably doesn't work, a small radio, and- ooh, a pool table. Hmm... It could be worse.

I watch the boys go off to different areas of the rec. room. X-ray and Magnet take over the pool table, Zigzag settles in front of the TV, and Zero follows Armpit and Squid to a small table. I think there's a deck of card there.

Lexie looks around. "Well, it's better than a half-empty tent."

"Agreed. ...C'mon." I latch onto her arm and bring her to a small, lumpy-looking couch. "Okay, first impressions of them. Go."

She laughs a little. "Umm, okay. Uh, X-Ray's probably the 'leader'. He kind of creeps me out, but it's only been ten minutes, so maybe it's just me."

"No, I got that vibe, too. What about Squid and Armpit?"

"Squid seems nice enough, but Armpit's... well..."

"Scary?" I offer.

"A little bit." Her eyes start drifting across the room.

"And the others?" I poke her, trying to get her to focus.

"Oh, right. I can't really say anything about Zero since he didn't talk..." She's doing it again. In the middle of her sentence, she started staring off.

What's so interesting over there? I turn and look for myself, but all I see are X-ray and Magnet hovering around the pool table. ...Wait a second. "...Alright, which one are you staring at?"

"What?" She snaps back into the conversation.

"You keep looking by the pool table. Are you eyeing X-Ray or Magnet?"

She stares at me for a couple of seconds, probably a little embarrassed that I'd notice. "...Magnet."

I grin; finally, something fun to talk about! "Was he the 'maybe'?"

She nods a little, looking over there again. "I'm not sure about him, though. I mean, we just got here. He's cute, but for all I know, he's crazy."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, there's nothing wrong with guy-watching," I put out there.

"Good, 'cuz it's fun." She's smirking now, too. "So, what about you? What do you think?"

"They're okay, I guess. I think Magnet and Squid are probably the nicest of them, at least that's what I picked up from earlier."

"Any eye-catchers?" she asks, trying to sound innocent. The grin on her face kind of kills it, though

"Well-"

" 'Ey, ladies!"

We both turn towards the voice; Armpit's waving us over to their little table.

"...Should we?"

She sighs, "I guess. But you'd better give me an answer later." ...I think that was supposed to sound threatening.

I follow her to the three boys. "What's up?"

"Why don't you get in on this?" Squid says.

I shake my head instantly. "No thanks. Never really been any good at cards."

"What about you?" he asks Lexie. "You want in?"

I notice her hesitate for, like, a _split_ second. "Uh, sure. Why not?"

"A'ight," Armpit grins. "Ya got your tokens on ya?"

"My shower tokens? No."

Squid shakes his head. "Gonna need 'em if you're gonna play. Need somethin' ta gamble."

I suddenly get the idea that Armpit sucks at cards.

"Oh... Uh, I can run and go get 'em real quick."

"You're gonna bet your shower tokens?" That's gross.

She rolls her eyes. "Relax. I'm pretty good at poker; I doubt I'll lose them."

"If you say so..."

"Be back in a sec." She then takes off out the door. Damn, she's fast!

"Whoa! You see that? She _flew_ out that door!"

Squid nods. "I hear ya, Pit." He laughs and goes on, "Man, she's like that hedgehog! What's his name!"

...Hedgehog?

"Oh yeah! He's blue, right?"

...Oh, my God. "You mean Sonic?"

They're both smiling, all excited. "Yeah, that's the one! Sonic!"

I glance at Zero and see him looking between the other two with an expression that clearly reads, "You've gotta be kidding me."

I can't help but agree.


	6. Chapter 5

**-5-**

Lexie's P.O.V.

"Yes!" I cheer, showing my hand. "Cough 'em up, guys."

Zero drops his head onto the table, while Squid and Armpit groan in unison.

"Man, this is just _wrong_!" Armpit complains. "Girls ain't supposed to be good at cards!"

"Maybe she's secretly a guy..." Squid proposes, sliding me my winnings: four shower tokens.

I roll my eyes, gathering them up. "Girls can play cards just fine."

"We can see that."

I stuff the tokens into a pocket of my jumpsuit and get up. "Whatever, I'm out. Thanks for the extra tokens, guys."

"Shut up," Squid fumes, dealing out cards to Armpit and Zero.

I wander over towards the pool table where Aidan's waiting for her turn. "Who's winning?"

She jabs a thumb towards Magnet. "He is. I'm right on his heels, though."

"But I'm still winning," he teases, grinning smugly. He lines up another shot and _just_ misses sinking another ball. He passes the pool stick to Aidan. "Gotta catch up, newbie!"

"Oh, I will..." She leans over the table, trying to get the angle right, I think.

I glance X-ray and Magnet. Well, what a surprise; they're checking her out. Oh, this'll be fun. "Hey, Aidan?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering if you could actually _feel_ the two of them staring at your ass," I answer, definitely loud enough for them to hear me.

They immediately look from me, back to Aidan, then anywhere else.

She smirks. "The jumpsuit makes it hard to tell." She takes her shot, sinking a billiard. "Tie game." She looks at me and finishes, "It's not like they can see anything through this orange sack, anyway."

"Very true," I agree, trying not to laugh.

"Can't blame us for tryin'," X-ray defends. "Ain't like we see a lot of girls around here. Besides," he flashes a toothy grin. "You're pretty easy on the eyes, ya know?"

I think that was supposed to be a compliment, so, "Thanks... I think." I exchange a glance with Aidan, who looks like she's about to burst out laughing.

"Shooting now," she declares, lining up the shot. She hits the cue pretty hard, sending another ball into a pocket. "Ha! ...No! No, no, no, noooooo!"

*Thunk* The eight-ball drops into the corner pocket.

X-ray laughs at her, while Magnet claps her lightly on the shoulder. "Good game, chica! Better luck next time!"

She groans. "I could've beaten him..."

"You'll bury him next time," I assure her. "Come back to the tent with me, okay? I gotta put the tokens back."

"...Why do I have to go?"

As if she doesn't know. "So we can finish talking!" I hope I didn't sound too excited just now.

"Oh." She glances around a little. "Do we have to?"

I don't even hesitate. "Yes!" I lead her out of the rec. room by the wrist.

" 'Ey! Where ya'll goin'?" Squid calls.

I look back and answer, "Back to our tent!" That's all the explanation I give, though, before we're out the door. It's starting to get dark now.

"Why is this discussion so important?"

" 'Cuz we're girls! If we don't have girl-talk, we'll slowly morph into dudes!" I cry dramatically.

She laughs at me, but fake-gasps. "Oh, no! Anything but that!" Then she starts running so she's dragging me.

We run all the way to the tent, giggling the whole time. Stares follow us again, but this time, they're creeped-out instead of curious.

I zip the flap shut behind us and take the shower tokens out of my pocket to put away. "So? Who is it!"

Aidan sighs and opens her mouth to answer, but hesitates. "...You won three more tokens?"

I toss them into my bag, then stuff said bag under the cot. "Like I said, I'm not too bad at poker." I situate myself on my cot and lay on my stomach so I'm facing her. "Now, c'mon! Answer!"

She rolls her eyes and mimics my position. "I guess if I had to pick someone, it'd be Zigzag."

"Now, was that so hard?" I ask innocently. Really, it's not a big deal.

"Yes," she says sarcastically. "Why so curious?"

"You asked me before. It's only fair that you answer the same question."

She rolls over onto her back and stares into space. "Not like it means anything."

"At the moment," I mumble, smirking to myself.

"Oh, come on," she says. "We're in a _detention camp_. I seriously doubt anything's gonna happen."

"If you say so. Nothing wrong with having an open mind..."

Aidan sighs. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Fine." I pout; I was having fun. "How bad do you think the digging will be?"

"Well, the dirt's like sand. It shouldn't be too hard to dig through." She laughs and adds, "I bet we'll be jacked by the time we go home, though."

I laugh with her. "Oh yeah, I can see it now. I get home and my parents don't even recognize me."

"I know my parents won't recognize me," she jokes. "I've never been tan in my life. I'm either gonna tan like a piece of toast or turn red as a lobster!"

Suddenly, I'm picturing her tomato-red all over. "You brought sunscreen, right?"

"Of course not. I _want_ to get skin cancer."

"Well then, you- AAGH!" That is the LOUDEST, most _ANNOYING_ bell I've ever heard! "What the hell was that!"

"I think it means food," she guesses, uncovering her ears.

The flap to the tent unzips, revealing the ever-smiling Dr. Pendanski. "That was the dinner bell, ladies! Time to head on over to the mess hall!" And he walks off.

"Good guess."

She hops off her cot and stretches. "I'm psychic."

"Uh-huh."

"Really," she says seriously. "And I foresee us getting something to eat. Let's go."


	7. Chapter 6

**-6-**

Aidan's P.O.V.

"I swear to God, it moved."

Most of the boys laugh, watching me poke at the mess on my tray.

Lexie takes my side, though. "I'm not even sure what this is supposed to be."

"It's food," Armpit says simply.

I glance at Lexie; her expression's mirroring mine: Ew.

"Just eat it so ya'll don't pass out tomorrow," Squid reasons. Unfortunately, he makes a good point.

Okay, here goes. I slowly take a _tiny_ bite of the mystery-gunk off my fork.

...

"I've had worse, I guess." That doesn't mean it tastes any good, though. It's kind of like wet cardboard with seasoned salt.

They laugh again while Lexie follows my actions. The order around the table is X-ray at the end, Armpit on his right, then me, Squid, and Zero. On X's left is Zigzag, then Lexie, then Magnet.

X-ray chooses now to ask, "So, you two gonna tell us how you got here?"

With a quick look across the table, I shrug. "I guess."

His gaze slides to me. "A'ight, you first."

"You want the short version?"

"For now."

I poke at the gook on my tray as I talk. "I got in a fight at school."

"That's it?" Magnet questions.

"Pretty much."

"No way," Squid says. "There's gotta be more to it. Ain't no way they sent ya here just for fightin'."

I guess that means they want the long version. "It wasn't 'cuz of the fight. It was 'cuz of how it ended."

Now they're interested. "How'd it end?" Zigzag asks, leaning forward over the table a little.

"What happened?" X asks.

Might as well tell them now. "See, the guy I was fighting was pretty big. I freaked out a little and..." This is the part I hate thinking about. "I slashed his neck by accident."

"Whoa..." There are surprised murmurs among the guys, but Lexie just stares at me.

"Did ya kill 'im?" Zigzag asks, eyes even wider than before.

"No, but he had to go to the hospital. I was aiming at his face, but he tried to dodge the hit."

"What'd you hit him wit?" Armpit asks.

I hold up my hand, waving my fingers a little.

"Yeah, right. Seriously, what'd you use?"

"I _am_ serious. I scratched him." I cringe inwardly. The feeling of his blood under my nails almost made me throw up. "The judge sent me here so I'd learn to be less violent."

They all look between each other, murmuring about whether they thought I was lying.

"Must've been one hell of a swing," Lexie mutters.

"Chica's tough," Magnet praises.

Once the murmuring dies down a little, X-ray turns to Lexie. "What about you?"

I instantly focus on the girl across from me. Maybe now I'll get to hear her story since she wouldn't tell me on the way here.

She looks around at all of us for a few seconds. "...Well, it's nowhere near as badass as almost killing someone with my nails." She sends a tiny smirk my way. "It's pretty stupid."

"So?" Squid tries to goad her on. "C'mon, spit it out."

She hesitates again, and I think her face is going red. Is it really that embarrassing? "My friends and I were playing truth or dare. ...One of them dared me to run through the mall in my underwear."

...No. Way. "Did you do it?"

She nods, looking anywhere but at us.

Just like that, the whole table is in hysterics (minus Zero who's trying desperately not to laugh).

C'mon, Aidan, control yourself! It's obviously not something she's proud of! "So you got arrested for streaking?" I ask, laughter still noticeable in my tone.

"No. I got arrested because my friends used the dare as a distraction. While the mall cops were chasing me, they split up and stole from, like, four different stores."

I sober immediately; now I feel like a bitch for laughing. "Oh... My bad."

She shrugs, moving the gob of "food" around on her tray. "Whatever."

"Man, that's cold," Armpit chuckles.

"You need some new friends," Magnet decides, still smiling a little.

In an effort to lighten her mood, I raise my hand. "Ooh, me! Pick me!"

She laughs a little and points at me with her fork. "I think that's one right there."

I pump my fist excitedly. "Yes!"

"Aw, ain't that sweet," X taunts, rolling his eyes.

I just stick my tongue out at him when he looks down at his dinner.

Squid smirks at me. "Better put that away unless you're plannin' on usin' it, girly."

...Eww! "In your dreams."

"How'd ya know?"

The others laugh, Lexie included. Me? I just want to smack him.

Armpit nudges X-ray. "We're gonna need to keep an eye on 'em tomorrow, X."

Lexie and I both look at the two of them. "Why?" we ask in unison.

"All the other dudes around here been eyein' you two since you got off the bus," Armpit says.

"Yeah, an' most of 'em ain't as nice as we are," X-ray adds.

I think I just shivered. I'm not liking where this is going.

"Seriously, man. You two better be careful," Magnet warns.

"Why? What's the worst they could do with Mr. Sir and Pendanski around?" Lexie asks.

"You don't wanna know," X says darkly. "Some of these guys got sent here for stuff they did to girls."

...Oh, God. We're gonna get raped.

Zigzag looks at me and laughs a little. "Don't worry. Long as ya stick by us, they won't bother ya."

If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn't work. "But you guys won't always be around. What then?"

"What're _you_ worryin' for? You're the one who almost took someone out with nothin' but your nails," Squid comments.

"Yeah," Armpit agrees. "And with the way _you_ run, none of 'em would be able to keep up!" he reminds Lexie. "Ya'll got nothin' to worry about. Just watch yourselves."

Suddenly, sharing a tent with these guys seems like a _much_ better idea. Bunking with them sounds a lot safer than two girls in a tent, alone at night. ...With nothing to use as a weapon.


	8. Chapter 7

**-7-**

Lexie's P.O.V.

Okay, what the hell is with the alarms here! First a bell, now a TRUMPET!

"AAAAGH!" Aidan shrieks, just before I hear her hit the ground.

I sit up on my cot and lean over the side; Aidan's sprawled across the floor, tangled up in her sheet. "You okay?"

"No," she groans, trying to free herself. She struggles with the bedding for a minute before finally standing up. Her brown locks are sticking up all over the place, but I imagine my hair looks about the same. "These people are crazy! What friggin' time is it!"

I drag myself off the cot and peek outside. ...You can't be serious. "The sun's not even up yet!"

She groans again and throws her jumpsuit on. "This is ridiculous..."

Ridiculous isn't the word I would've used. I know there's no helping it, though, so I follow her lead and pull my suit on. After brushing my hair and throwing it into a high ponytail, I wait for Aidan to do the same. "This is gonna suck."

"Don't I know it," she agrees, tying her hair up. She gets to putting on sunscreen, then. ...I should probably do that.

"Aidan? Lexie? Alright if I come in?" Pendanski's voice comes from outside.

"Yeah!"

He unzips the tent and steps in, looking just as cheerful as yesterday. "Good morning, ladies! I've got your canteens right here! Make sure you fill 'em at the spigot before ya head off to start diggin'!" He hands us each an empty jug with a strap on it. "Once you've got your water, just follow the crowd to get your shovels and somethin' for breakfast, then meet up with D-Tent. Mr. Sir will show ya where to dig." He grins and finishes, "Good luck with your first holes!" Then, he turns on his heel and disappears outside.

"I hate him." Aidan mutters, slinging the canteen over her shoulder. "He's a morning person."

"He's probably just used to it. C'mon, I see the spigot." We make our way over and fill our makeshift canteens with surprisingly clean water, then start following everyone else to another building. It's labeled "Library", but the inside is full of shovels. Off to the side, I notice a row of... I think they're tortillas with honey. I can't tell. "Is that breakfast?"

"I guess." She grabs one and folds it up 'til it's really small, then puts the whole thing in her mouth. ...How is she not choking?

I grab one and roll it up before I start munching on it. It's nowhere _near_ as bad as what they gave us for dinner.

Aidan licks her fingers clean, then goes and takes two shovels from the Library. She holds onto them until I finish my "breakfast".

I take one with a quiet, "Thanks," then start looking around. D-Tent... Where are they? Oh! "Hey, I see Zero's mop-top. C'mon."

She follows silently, her shovel slung over her shoulder. I guess she's not really awake yet.

"Mornin', noobs," Squid greets us when we catch up.

Aidan mumbles a response, eyes half-open.

Armpit waves a hand in her face. "Yo, you awake in there?"

"Getting there," she finally answers. Her eyes are a little unfocused.

"I think she's just tired," I tell them.

"And you ain't?"

I shrug. "A little, but the trumpet scared the hell out of me. I'm pretty awake now."

"Lucky..." Aidan murmurs, rubbing her eyes.

"Let's go, girl scouts!" Mr. Sir yells, climbing into a truck. There's a tank on the back that I'm betting is full of water.

As a mass of orange forms behind the truck, we follow along, sticking close to D-Tent. Aidan's right at my side, thank God. After what X-ray said last night, I'm still a little edgy.

Zero's taken the lead, his shovel across his shoulders, while the rest of us trail behind. Every so often, Mr. Sir stops the others to tell them where to dig. Our group is the last stop.

The wannabe cowboy gets out of the truck and waves us over. "D-Tent, you're here today! Get diggin'!" He looks to me and Aidan, "You two, over here!" He points at the ground, "Lexie, you dig here. Aidan, go that way some." Once we're in place, he continues. "Listen here. This is where you're diggin'. Ya find anythin' outta the ordinary, ya give it to me or Dr. Pendanski. If the warden likes what ya found, ya stop diggin' and get the rest of the day off. Understand?"

I nod; shouldn't be too hard.

"Good. Get to it." With that, he walks back towards the truck.

Aidan's practically leaning on her shovel. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I put the blade of the shovel to the dirt and push. ...Why isn't it moving? I try again; nothing. I look around at the guys. ...Well, they're not having any trouble. Alright, I can do this! I bring the shovel up and stab it into the ground. It barely went anywhere! "What the hell!" This is seriously getting annoying! "GET IN THE GROUND!"

"Lexie!"

I whip around and look at Aidan. "What!"

"Chill! Look," she points at the ground in front of her. She puts the blade's tip to the dirt and kicks it in with her heel.

...Oh. I can hear the guys laughing behind me; I feel _really_ slow right now. "Uh, thanks," I mutter. Copying her action, I actually start getting somewhere! Yes!

She snickers and goes back to her own work.

Aidan was right; this isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I can _so_ do this!


	9. Chapter 8

**-8-**

Aidan's P.O.V.

"At least the sandwiches taste like food..." I mutter, all but _attacking _my lunch. Lexie and I are about halfway done with our holes. My hands are screaming, probably blistering by now. I should've seen that coming, I guess, but I was so tired this morning, I wasn't even thinking about it. I have some lotion in my bag; maybe it'll help.

Lexie walks at my side as we head back towards our holes. She looks around at some of the finished ones as we pass them. "I wonder how you get out once you're done..."

I laugh as the image of her stuck in a hole pops into my head. "Five feet down? Good luck."

"Was that a crack at my height?"

"Your words, not mine," I tease, fighting back a yawn. I guess the sun's making me tired.

She shoves me slightly with a smirk on her face. "You're such a jerk."

"And yet, you still love me."

"Someone has to." Then, it's her turn to be pushed.

"Gee, thanks! Love you, too! ...What's that?" There's something on the ground in front of us.

"What's what?"

I point at whatever it is. "That." It's a sandy color and- Did it just move! The coil-like thing unwinds slowly.

Lexie's eyes go as wide as mine. "Is that a-"

"I think so." All that registers is a hissing sound and beady eyes before I leap away from it. "SNAKE!" Suddenly, the ground isn't under my feet anymore and I'm looking up at the sky from inside a hole. "Oww..." I can hear the guys all laughing somewhere above me.

"Aidan? You okay?" There's Lexie. Bless her.

"Think so." Carefully, I start righting myself, using the walls of the hole to help me up.

"Here, gimme your hand."

This girl is an angel. A short, semi-twisted angel. "Thanks." I reach up and grab her hand, trying to grasp the edge of the hole with my other one.

"Ready? One, two... three!"

I jump, trying to pull myself out with her help. But instead of moving up, I feel myself falling back down. "Lex!"

"AAAAGH!"

Now I'm looking up at the sky _again_, and the guys are laughing hysterically AGAIN, but this time, I'm not alone in the hole.

"Augh, that hurt..." she mutters, trying to sit up.

"Try experiencing it _twice_; what the heck was that all about!"

"I'm sorry!" she yells back. "I didn't expect you to be that heavy!"

"Are you calling me fat!"

"No! I just thought you'd be lighter!" She stands up, dusting herself off, with me following suit.

The guys are finally quieting down from what I can hear, and I think a couple of them are coming towards the hole. " 'Ey, yo! You two a'ight?" That's X.

"Yeah, we're okay. Dusty, but okay."

He appears over the hole, Zigzag and Squid tailing him. He's grinning crookedly like he's trying not to laugh. "Need a hand?"

"_No_, thank-you. I've learned my lesson." I send a sideways glare at Lexie. I'm not really mad at her, but that failed attempt at help deserves _some_ teasing.

"I said I was sorry!"

"Yeah, yeah. You guys might wanna move back a couple steps." I back up to one side of the hole, then get a tiny running start and launch myself at the opposite side. I manage to get most of my body over the edge; woot! Go me! That done, I pull the rest of myself out of the hole without too much hassle. I get my feet back on the ground, but one of them slides a little. "Whoa-" Someone's grip on my wrist stops me from reeling back too far.

"Man, you're a klutz," Squid taunts. I can feel myself flushing, both from embarrassment and anger.

X-ray laughs with him, then says, "Nice catch, Zig."

I look up at Zigzag, who's still holding my wrist like I might randomly fall over again. "Thanks for the save."

He nods, smirking. "Couldn't let ya fall in again. You probably would'a killed Sonic down there."

"Hey, it's not my fault she's- ...Sonic? That's Lexie's nickname?"

"Yeah," Squid answers for him. " 'Cuz she's so fast."

Makes sense, I guess. I turn back to the hole and look down at Lexie with a grin. "Well, aren't you special? You got a nickname." I help her out of the hole, tempted to drop her on purpose before she makes it out, just as revenge.

"Yeah, I'm named after a children's cartoon. I'm _so_ special," she jests, straightening out her jumpsuit.

"You got one, too," Squid interrupts, tapping my arm.

Oh, this oughtta be good. "What is it?"

"Scratch," X and Zig say simultaneously.

Ha! Mine's cooler than Lexie's! "Hmm... I like it." I'm not sure why they gave me that name, though. It was either because of how I ended up here, or because of that bogus shot when I was playing pool against Magnet.

"Good, 'cuz you're stuck with it. Now get back to your holes, ladies," X commands. "Y'all got work to do."

It's amazing how fast he switched from being goofy to bossing us around. "Yes, sir!" I mock-salute, then grab Lexie's wrist. "Coming, _Sonic?_"

"Of course, _Scratch._"

Giggling at our private joke, we march back towards our dig sites. Before we're out of earshot, we hear one last comment from Squid: "Girls are freakin' weird."

Lexie and I share a smirk that says it all: he doesn't know the half of it.


End file.
